2008AnnuAl RepoRt CGRER The CenTer For Global and reGional environmenTal researCh 1 Evacuate! In June of 2008, Iowa City faced the worst flooding since the upstream Coralville Dam had been built in the 1950s. The Iowa River’s rising waters forced CGRER to evacuate its riverside IATL offices. On June 11, as predictions of flooding worsened, CGRER staff and students started moving equipment to the UI’s main engineering building, Seamans Center for the Engineering Arts and Sciences (SC). Because researchers were in the middle of a large atmospheric field experiment (ARCTAS, see page 19), every piece of computer equipment was essential, and all computers and accessories were moved—with only 3 hours of down time. Printers and other non-essential equipment were evacuated the following day. On June 13, the alarms sounded, IATL’s doors were locked and chained, and all access to the building was prohibited. Over the next several days, flooding caused contents significant damage to research equipment and office space on the first floor. Fortunately executive Summary 4 all CGRER offices are on fourth floor, and thus they suffered CGReR executive Committee 5 no direct harm. Staff, students, office operations, and computer Message from the Advisory Board 6 labs remained in temporary quarters at SC for the next 4 ∂ CGReR Advisory Board Members 7 months, returning to IATL after building cleanup operations were Dialogue 9 completed on October 24. education 12 Research 19 photography courtesy of Carl Kurtz and illustrations courtesy of Mark Müller, General Information 23 republished with permission from the book The Emerald Horizon: The History of Nature in Iowa (Cornelia F. Mutel, 2008, Iowa City: the university of Iowa press), CGReR Members 24 research for which was initiated with CGReR support. Iowa’s first comprehensive natural and environmental history, the book includes methods for reestablishing Iowa’s native ecosystems and environmental integrity. CGRER The Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research The Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research – CGRER – was established in 1990 with the intent of promoting interdisciplinary efforts that focus on global environmental change. Housed on the University of Iowa (UI) campus in the Iowa Advanced Technology Laboratories (IATL), CGRER is supported by revenues generated from public utilities, as mandated by the State of Iowa’s Energy Efficiency Act. Funds are used to support research and provide services to faculty members and students across the state who are interested in environmental change. CGRER membership is composed of faculty and professional staff from Iowa’s colleges and universities. CGRER currently is composed of 74 members from 23 departments at seven institutions. While environmental change is constant and natural, CGRER focuses on the human-induced acceleration of such change caused by modern technologies, lifestyles, and population growth. Concerns about global change encompass multiple issues including its effects on natural ecosystems, environments, and resources, and on human health, culture, and social systems. Because global change promises to touch virtually every aspect of life and require the reinterpretation of many fields of science and engineering, the humanities, medicine, and law, an understanding of global change requires collaborative efforts among the many disciplines involved. CGRER’s mission is to foster such collaborative interdisciplinary actions in three ways: • by promoting dialogue among specialists and agencies, • by educating students and the general public, and • by fostering and supporting relevant research projects. This annual report summarizes CGRER’s activities in each of these three areas. Because CGRER’s output is commensurate with that of its many members, a summary of which would require a small book, this annual report includes only a sampling of significant projects and efforts. Yet this sampling provides a vision of CGRER’s multiple efforts to achieve its ultimate goal: assisting Iowa’s agencies, industries, and citizens in assessing and preparing for global change and its effects. 4 5 executive summary CGRER Executive Committee This past year has certainly been very challenging, yet David Bennett rewarding. We entered 2008 with the goal of enhancing CGRER’s Geography, uI outreach activities. As outlined throughout this Annual Report, CGRER members are involved in many forms of valuable Jonathan Carlson outreach to the state and beyond. One example is co-director College of law, uI Jerry Schnoor’s leadership in the governor’s Climate Change Advisory Council. In 2008, we created a new staff position— Dennis Dahms Director of Outreach and Community Education—in order to physical Geography, unI increase CGRER’s outreach efforts and promote the important environmental work being done by CGRER faculty and Jeff Dorale students. In November, Joe Bolkcom joined our staff, and we are Geoscience, uI pleased to have him on board. He brings with him an excellent understanding of environmental issues, as well as the skills and Vicki Grassian experience to communicate with key stakeholders and Iowans Chemistry, uI about our mission. Our best examples of outreach and service were unplanned. Paul Greenough They involved our members’ responses to the June floods. CGRER History and Behavior Science, uI and many of its members were greatly affected by the floods. We had to evacuate CGRER’s administrative offices from IATL, just Steve Hendrix as many members and their students had to evacuate their offices Biological Sciences, uI and research laboratories across campus. Members with offices and labs in IATL could not reoccupy them until late October. Diana Horton Some research activities are still in recovery mode. Biological Sciences, uI We would like to commend the faculty, staff, and students of the entire university and surrounding communities for their Sarah Larsen initiatives in preparing for the floods and the subsequent recovery Chemistry, uI in general, and specifically for their efforts to help accommodate displaced CGRER researchers and administrative offices. Lou Licht The response of our members to the floods went above and ecolo-tree, Inc. beyond day-to-day challenges. For example, CGRER helped to host the visit of the Director of the National Science Foundation Michelle Scherer (NSF) a few short weeks after the floods peaked, and CGRER Civil & environmental engineering, uI members moved immediately into research mode to capture as much information as possible about the floods for use in efforts Peter Thorne to prevent future flood devastation. The many new NSF-funded occupational & environmental Health, uI Small Grants for Exploratory Research (SGRER) described in this report are just one example of the members’ collective creative You-Kuan Zhang response. CGRER members are also playing leadership roles Geoscience, uI in the university, community, and state by helping to develop flood mitigation plans. This is exemplified by members who are As discussed throughout this Annual Report, 2008 has been involved with the governor’s Rebuild Iowa task forces. CGRER a very exciting and productive year. Looking forward into 2009, is co-sponsoring a book on the science of the floods, written for we intend to continue strengthening our efforts in outreach and a lay audience and non-scientists who will be influencing public research focused on helping Iowa deal with the many facets of policy. This educational-outreach tool will be published by the environmental change and its ramifications. University of Iowa Press in 2009. Moving forward, CGRER is focusing its research skills on several large initiatives related to Gregory R. Carmichael improving our ability to live with floods. CGRER Co-Director with Jerald L. Schnoor 6 7 “Whether it’s the CGRER Advisory science to slow Board Members global warming; the Robert Dvorsky Senator, Iowa State legislature technology to protect Jon Kallen our troops and Manager, environmental policy and Strategy confront bioterror MidAmerican energy and weapons of mass Jim Klosterbuer destruction; the Senior environmental Consultant Alliant energy research to find Mark Kresowik life-saving cures; national Corporate Accountability Representative or the innovations national Coal Campaign, Sierra Club to remake our Hiram “Chip” Levy II industries and create Senior Research Scientist message from the advisory board graduate research assistant) Joe Bolkcom, to expand Geophysical Fluid Dynamics laboratory, noAA 21st-century jobs — and a handful of other CGRER upon that base of experience. Any eloquence I could energies of the tsunami that affiliates on improving estimates Although at times the David Osterberg today, more than summon to describe the bore down on Sri Lanka or of plant uptake of carbon dioxide challenges facing our economy occupational and environmental Health Advisory Board’s hopes for the the devastation of Hurricane (Science 322: 1085-1088). and planet may seem intractable, university of Iowa ever before, science new year is overshadowed by the Katrina. Perhaps the most exciting our creative capacity to research, momentous events of the past To each of these occasions development has been the understand, and overcome those William Stigliani holds the key to our twelve months and the enormous the researchers, staff, students, efforts undertaken by CGRER obstacles is undiminished. With professor, Center for energy & challenges the State of Iowa and and stakeholders of CGRER to disseminate